Brake cooling mechanism



May 14, 1946. c. L. EKsERGlAN 2,400,225

BRAKE COOLING MECHANI SM Filed Nov. s, 194s my, www

' TTORNE Y Patented May 14, 1946 BRAKE COOLING MECHANISM Carolus L. Eksergian, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Budd Wheel Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 3, 1943, Serial No. 508,798

7 Claims.-

This invention relates to brake mechanisms in which a rotary brake member such, for example, as a brake disc is engaged by one or more nonrotary brake members such as shoes which are movable into and out of braking engagement with the disc. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to the cooling of such brakes.

An object is to provide an improved method` of cooling disc brakes.

A further object is to provide an improved cooling device for brakes constructed and arranged to cool disc brakes with such\elilciency and effectiveness as to render it especially adaptable to heavy service such as that encountered on tanks or other vehicles.

'I'hese and other objects which Iwill be apparent are accomplished by the invention hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation, partly in section, of a brake cooling device constructed in acoord` ance with one embodiment of tliis invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectio al view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line I-.l of Fig. 2.

The braking mechanism of the present invention is shown' as mounted within a fluid-tight brake housing l in which a brake disc l is bolted to the driving shaft 'l of the associated vehicle, such for example, as a tank r Othervehicle requiring heavy duty braking mechanisms. The brake disc comprises spaced .brake surface members 8 and 9 connected together 'by radially extending vanes I0 forming radialducts Il therebetween. The disc is supported by a flange I2 integral with the brake surface member l and having an axially extending portion which permits both radial flexibility of the braking faces and allows them to center automatically between the braking shoes applied to the separate faces. A

' From the radiator the oil y braking surface U and nozzle tube 28 Vacross the braking surface 9. A fluid -hood 3| is mounted on and surrounds is drawn through a line I by a. pump 22. The oil delivery line 2|, extends through a closure plate 213 bolted to the housing 5, and vdelivers the oil to a distributing chamber 24 formed between the inner face ofthe closure plateA 23 and a distributor plate 25 bolted to the inner face of the closure plate. A pair of fluid nozzle tubes 21 and 28 are mounted in the distributor plate 25 and extending inwardly, one adjacent each braking surface 8 and 8, the nozzle tube 2l extending across the face of the extending directing the outer facerof the nozzle tube 28 and extends radially inwardly to a point beyond the inner edge of the braking surface 9, so that some of the fluid issuing from the nozzle tube 28 will be directed by the hood 3l into the radially inner ends of the ducts Il as the brake disc rotates. For this purpose thehood is provided with an inclined end wall I4 which extends toa position radially inward of the surface 9 so as to direct cooling iluid past the inner edge of such surface into the ducts I l as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 and arrows in Figure 1, the fluid flowing through the ducts in cooling contact with the vanes III and the inner walls oi' the disc. Other oil issuing from the nozzle'tube 28 through the nozzle opening 32 is directed forcibly under the pressure built up by the pump P into cooling contact with the entire adJacent face of the braking surface 9.

' Cooling fluid issuing from the nozzle opening 33 brake shoe I3 is movably supported on yoke memvbers I4 for movement into and out of braking engagement with the face 9, and a similar shoe A (not shown), is similarly mounted for movement into and out of braking engagement with the face 8, all as is well known in the art. f

The present invention comprises the fluid cooling of the brake mechanism, preferably by lip-- plying thereto a cooling liquid such, for example, as oil. For this purpose an oil sump or reservoir I8 is formed in the bottom of the casing l, 'the lower portion of the disc being immersed therein. Oil isdrawn from this sump through a filter I'I and line Il toaradiatororcoolingdevice Il where it is cooled to the desired temperature.

of the nozzle tube 21 is similarly directed into cooling contact with the entire adjacent face of the braking surface 8.

It will be apparent, in the present invention, v that the fresh cooling fluid cools the brake disc both externally, and internally. yThe fluid issuing from the nozzle tube 2l flows over the external brake surface 8 and downwardly into the sump Il. Likewise some of the fluid issuing from the nozzle I2 ows over the brake surface 9 and downwardly into the sump i6, while other fluid will iiow across Vthe braking surface 9 and after passing across such surface will flow into and through the ducts Il. Simultaneously, additional Oil will be directed by the hood Il directly into theducts Il, through which it iiowsin cooling contact with the vanes Il and the inner faces oi' the brake disc. This forms, in effect, a combination of a series and parallel iiow arrangement. It should be noted that the nozzle tubes 2l and 2l are located to direct the cooling uid against the brake disc Aat its point of highest temperature Just beyond its exit from engagement with the b'raking shoes, in order to obtain the greatest differential between the temperature of the disc and the cooling fluid.

It will be apparent that the present invention can be variously modified and adapted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of cooling a brake dise having spaced braking surfaces connected by duct forming vanes which comprises flowing a cooling fluid in parallel arrangement over said spaced surfaces in cooling contact therewith, simultaneously directing cooling fluid into and through said ducts in cooling contact with said vanes, and directing a portion of said cooling fluid flowing over one of said surfaces into and through said ducts.

2. The combination in a brake mechanism of a rotary brake disc having spaced braking surfaces connected by duct forming vanes, a brake shoe for engaging said disc, means for delivering v a cooling fluid to the face of said disc adjacent said shoe, and means for delivering a cooling fluid to the opposite face of said disc and simultaneously directing said fluid through said ducts in cooling contact with said vanes,

3. The combination in a brake mechanism of a rotary brake disc having spaced braking surfaces connected by duct forming vanes, means for delivering cooling fluid to both of said disc surfaces, and means associated therewith for directing cooling fluid into said ducts between said vanes,

4. The combination in a brake mechanism of a rotary brake disc 4having spaced braking surfaces connected by duct forming vanes, means for delivering cooling fluid to said disc including spaced nozzles for delivering fluid to each of said braking surfaces, and a hood co-operating with said nozzles for directing a part of the fluid into said ducts.

5. The combination in a brake mechanism of a rotary brake disc having spaced braking surfaces connected by duct forming vanes, means for delivering cooling fluid to said disc including spaced nozzles for delivering fluid to each of said braking surfaces, a hood zo-operating with one of said nozzles for directing a part of the fluid into said ducts, a housing for said disc forming a sump, and means for maintaining a fluid level in said housing sufficient to immerse the lower part of said disc.

6. The combination ln a brake mechanism of a rotary brake disc having spaced braking surfaces connected by duct forming vanes, means for delivering cooling fluid to said disc including spaced nozzles for directing fluid onto each braking surface, means including a distributing chamber for supplying cooling fluid to said nozzles, a hood co-operating with one of said nozzles for directing fluid into said ducts, a housing forming a fluid containing sump into which a portion of said disc extends, and means for circulating fluid from said sump to said distributing chamber.

7. The combination in a brake mechanism comprising a rotary brake member having an annular braking surface and a non-rotary brake element of materially less circumferential extent than said braking surface for engagement therewith to effect the braking, of a cooling fluid discharge member extending across said braking face for substantially the entire width thereof and means for forcibly discharging a cooling fluid from said member against the braking face across the width thereof and at a location adjacent the end of said element where the braking surface leaves it during the rotation of said rotary member.

CAROLUS L. EKSERGIAN. 

